Skins Loss is Worst D.C. Sports Moment of 2009

WIth the exception of one team, this has been a fairly horrendous year for D.C. sports. And yet, off the top of my head, I still think Sunday's Redskins loss to the Lions is the worst.

I don't have any hard and fast guidelines for measuring horribleness here, but I'm thinking some combination of local agony, national shame, and a feeling that you might literally vomit out your potato chips. Which I yet might do. Here's my top five list. You can vote below.

1. Redskins lose to the NFL's worst team, ending the Lions' 19-game losing streak. Coming on the heels of the home booing, the Twitter meltdown, the Sonny-Zorn battle, the players questioning the loyalty of D.C. fans and media members and the Burgundy Revolution taking its first halting steps, this sets us up for the most miserable week of D.C. sports talk radio in this century.

2. Stan Kasten appeals to Philly fans to fill Nats Park for home opener. This was another moment where your stomach just sort of fell away in nauseated disbelief. Pretty flowers tossed in the direction of he most hated regional fan base on the first game of the year....this was the precursor for a whole season of Fail.

3. Caps lose Game 7 to the Penguins. On paper, this is the worst: getting embarrassed, at home, against Alex Ovechkin's arch rival and the franchise that has caused so very much pain over the years. But I move this down to No. 3 because there was plenty of shiny tinsel underneath: a great season, the promise of a better future, etc.

4. Wizards crash out of the NBA lottery. An entire NBA season worth of misery was supposed to yield a nice prize at the end. Maybe Blake Griffin. Maybe some enticing point guard. Instead, it was the worst possible outcome: the useless No. 5. In retrospect, that pick yielded two better veterans, but at the time, it just felt miserable. I keep using that word.

5. Terps basketball loses by 41 at Duke. They definitely salvaged their season with that late-year rally, and against N.C. State or Wake this wouldn't rate, but to get just humiliated like that against Duke was rough.

It's not even close. The Wiz ended up fine, the Caps are going to be excellent, the Nats landed Strasburg (even if the season has been awful) and the Terps are what they are. Maybe it's just fresh, but I cannot imagine today's loss being anything other than devastating for the team.

I would absolutely say today's loss is the worst of '09 due mostly to the totality of the meltdown. Coach, players, organization, all just didn't perform. Eventually Snyder will remember a key rule of investing: price does not equal value.

Nonetheless, as a lifelong DC fan, I'll probably tune in next week as the Skins lose to Tampa on the way to a glorious 6-10 season. At least today's embarrassment was blacked out here in Baltimore.

as much as game 7 hurt, it was also one of D.C.'s finest hours -- long maligned as a bandwagon town, the fans stuck it out to the end of a game out of reach and gave the team a standing O for the final five minutes, and the team saluted us back. this town loves alex ovechkin and the caps.

so all you snyderskins deadenders gnash all the teeth you want, i'm ready to rock the red.

They don't need a new coach, they need a new owner. It's just bad karma. Dan Snyder cannot keep screwing the Redskins' fans and have a winning team too. Hey Danny, take your money and find some other, more discreet way to chisel folks out of theirs. Maybe like Bernie Madoff.

If the Redskins want to be relevant (i.e. not suck), maybe Snyder ought to take a page out of Leonsis' book and build through the draft. The Nationals have already figured that out and look like they're going to be good in a few years when their bullpen grows up. Price &neq; value in a salary cap world, and when Snyder wakes up and realizes this, the Skins will be better off.

Like it or lump it, Skins fans, there's one team in DC that doesn't suck this year, and yours isn't it.

dude, the skins suck. at the very worst the caps will be contenders for years to come. The skins on the other hand cant even put together a win against a team who hasn't won in over a year OVER A YEAR!

The caps on the other hand have made it to the playoffs for the last two years straight, took the eventual Stanley cup champions to 7 games, Have one of the best owners in sports, a GM who knows how to build a winer, the best hockey player in the world (arguably) and a cast of really good talent.

Dont hate man... the skins had their time. Its not the caps fault that Skins fans get the shaft. Why people pay so much money for such a poor product is beyond me.

All you folks screaming for Zorn's and Cambel's head(s). How about the recievers not running the distance on the routes? Both Rogers and HAll getting smoked in the secondary? Blanche for head coach cries? ---Letting the Lions Drive 3x for long scoring drives? Come on!!! Shameful ownership and lack of GM ---that's the problem

This is certainly a low point for the Redskins but the reason fans were booing last week is because they recognized how undisciplined and unmotivated and poorly coached this team is. So the result today, as depressing as it was, did not really come as a surprise to many of us. I voted for the Caps loss because it was a surprising and sad way to see a magical season come to an end. But I certainly agree that the Caps are likely to be great this year and the Redskins are likely to have a miserable losing season.

I sure wish Snyder would sell the team to someone who knows how to build a successful franchise and make the fans feel good about it. Snyder has just about chewed through the massive goodwill that was built up in this town during the period from George Allen through Gibbs 1. My son, who is 19 and knows about football greatness in Washington only from the stories I've told him and what he's read about and seen on ESPN Classics, texted me today to say he's finished as a Redskins fan. I never thought I would see something like that.

By the way, am I the only one who thinks this might be an opportune time to finally change the name of the team so we can stop feeling bad about that too?

How could DCU lose knowing what they faced? A win at home and your basically in the playoffs. It's funny as that game had the same feeling as the skins game. I guess I'll wait for the caps and wiz to save the year.

Caps will probably get mighty close to the cup this year, the Nats are still a work in progress, the Redskins, well,,,,if the spin machines aka WTEM, WAPO, WJFK and COMCAST would just step back for a moment (every year around July) and just admit that its a long way to the Super Bowl then maybe the bar would be lowered just a nothch and debacles such as today wouldn't mean so much. Lets go Nats!

If we were a sucky team that tried real hard and still got beat, I could live with that. But this... These overpriced do nothings that strut around saying they got talent. Tell me, look at the scoreboard and tell me which team today had the most talent. The skins suck because they keep saying, "We have talent." No they don't. Look at the result... No scoring, no defense because they all suck.

Only Albert Haynesworth and C. Griffin and few others should be kept. Esp. get rid of Portis, Campbell, Davis, and Kelly. Along with the entire coaching staff.

Unfortunately, we will never win until Snyder decides that he would rather win football games than run the team. Once Snyder hires a good VP head of football operations and sticks to only the business end, and the new VP hires a good GM and coach will the nightmare end.

Unfortunately, Blache is not a good coach either, but Zorn is making really stpid mistakes. Sheesh, EVERYONE knows that 4th down is NOT MAGIC. You tried 3 downs to score a touchdown. Kick the FG and take your 3 points to get you off the 0. Maybe later in the game, trying on 4th down is OK. If you take your 3 points, the team will be dissapppointed not getting 7. But trying on 4th and getting nothing for that long drive is a disaster. It enobles the opps and demoralizes your team. Zorn does not seem to understand that.

But even worse was that accepting the penalty on 3rd down, giving them another chance. That was the worse.

NO... Even worse was not even trying for a hail mary at the end of the game. THEY JUST GAVE UP. Your QB's only great talent is a powerful arm and you don't use it. When you have nothing to lose... G-D that infuriates me.

Actually, someone said in the Redskins Insider that this loss is liberating. Honestly, I do feel liberated. I no longer will have delusions about the 'Skins for the rest of the season. I won't have to worry about having a heart attack on Sunday since I'll be expecting the worst.

The sad thing is, we are going to be absolutely demolished in the NFC East. I'm predicting an 0-6 division record. ~Sigh~, a Cowboy sweep: it makes me sick but it can't be avoided.

Just as Mike Wise's column will say in tomorrow morning's paper: "The Redskins are inferior in the NFC East."

Screw the Redskins. The ownership treats the fans like crap, and you morons still line up to overpay for the lousy experience. Redskins fans have to be the dumbest fans in sports. The Capitals gutted through 13 games, only to go through the motions and get crushed in the finale. That was pretty awful.

As a lifelong Redskins fan (40 years) this has to be the lowest I have felt towards the team I can honestly remember. What disgusted me the most was the teams "effort" in the first half, if that's what you want to call it. The whole game the play calling was atrocious, especially the 4th down call and the final play was just amateur (for lack of a better word) - crap like that does not work in the NFL. Anyways, now that I have got that out of my system, I am sure glad I decided not to shell out the $$$ for season tickets when I got the letter from Ashburn. Heck, I don't even think I would go if offered free tickets. This team is not worth the investment of my time and effort driving down from Baltimore and dealing with all the hassles going to a game involves. I NEVER thought I would feel that way and it's amazing to me. I seriously hope the fans BOOOOOOO the team next week when they make the Bucs look like the 72 Dolphins. The problem starts at the top, but unfortunately there is nothing we (as fans) can do about it. Too bad the problem at the top doesn't look at the excellent role model across town, Ted Leonsis, for direction/advice/etc on how to run a team, build a winner and generate goodwill with the community and loyal fans. That's just one reason why I am sooooo excited for the Capitals to start the season and I am looking forward to making the trip to the MCI Center to catch a few games. I feel much better now.

The Skins players don't care they are getting paid regardless win or lose. Its the fans who pay for this garbage football team. Hungry players develop over time with hard work. You can't buy hard work. They put on lackluster pre-seasons that turn into garbage regular season. No one holds anybody accountable. Lets try Collins at QB now. Do something to rouse the players. If you don't play well you will sit on the bench. Enough of me ranting...Last thing, I bet the Skins players will be at Club Love and The Park Nightclub this week partying it up as usual and will lose again next week. Who cares? They don't! The Ravens resemble the Redskins that I use to enjoy watching every sunday. Maybe I should watch the Ravens for real football...Baltimore here I come.

Sorry, but I don't see this loss isn't that big of a deal. The team probably isn't as bad as it has looked so far, just as it wasn't as good as it looked when they were 6-2 last year. The Lions debacle wasn't anything more than another example of "Any Given Sunday."

That said, Washington isn't a very good football team. Before the season started, I figured them as anywhere from a 4- to 9-win team. Nothing I've seen so far changes that assessment, although 9 wins looks iffier than 4.

The worst sports moment of 2009 was the signing of Albert Haynesworth, because it told me that the Danny has learned nothing in his decade of megawatt off-season acquisitions who fizzle. He's still the same, vain little man who never fails to overestimate his ability to run a football team.

Three things Danny still doesn't understand:
-Money can't buy happiness.
-Even the best franchises can be ruined
-The reservoir of fan goodwill has nearly been drained.

worst moment has to be the Caps losing game 7. The Caps are a very good team and so exciting to watch. The Redskins aren't any good so yesterday really wasn't a shock or a huge disappointment. I was somewhat expecting them to lose.

Redskins Fans get real-Nobody cares about the Skins inside the Beltway, except for areas east of anancosta or parts of Prince George's County. Outside the beltway-You have More Steelers, Eagles, Giants, and Cowboy fans. DC is about politics--not sports-

Half the people here and calling radio sports talk are saying get rid of everyone on the team except Mr. Haynesworth and perhaps one or two or several others. The other half say the signing of Mr. Haynesworth is one of the worst things, if not THE worst thing, that the team's done because they didn't spend the money in other ways, and because it shows that management (Mr. Snyder) hasn't learned you can't buy success, etc. Yet almost everyone, when Mr. Haynesworth was signed, couldn't say enough about how great the signing was. These were the same people who earlier said "pay whatever you need to to get... and then they name who they want".

A significant portion of the people here and on radio sports talk can't say enough about how the Redskins should have gotten Mr. Cutler or Mr. Sanchez or Mr. Favre. Well, for any number of reasons they didn't come here. So who should you blame for that? Obviously to some, it's "management." And you know what? Even if one of those did come here and the team still played as it is, you would have heard such comments as "Cutler had a losing record; why'd ya' bring him here?" "Sanchez is a rookie; why are we starting over from scratch when we have a good strong armed quarterback that's now getting settled under one plan?" "Why'd you get an old quarterback who only cares about himself and who'll probably retire again at the end of the year; that's not how you build long-term."

This is Washington, and like it or not, the Redskins are the big ticket in local sports. As close as the Baltimore Ravens are to the area, you would think that they'd be of high interest, yet virtually no one cares about them "locally". That should tell you that the Redskins are the big ticket. And as long as the Redskins are the big ticket here, there doesn't seem to be any middle road; you like them or you don't.

You hold onto those championships that were won back in what 1991 as the most recent...we're talking about now....what have you done for me lately....not to say I didn't enjoy those wins or the fact that I still tune in and watch the Skins every Sunday in hopes they turn it around but to be so close minded and say the Caps don't have squat. Let's see. Here's what we have:

1) An owner that cares about the club and fans

2) The 2 time League wide MVP

3) A roster that boasts some of the leagues top players that are all under 25 for the most part with a few vets mixed in

4) a sold out arena that gets loud and supports their club and rarely boos them...especially not after a win even if it's an ugly one.

5) do I need to continue or do I since a little jealousy since the Skins have only 2 playoff wins in the last 17 years.

You might as well tune in to the Caps this year and check out the product before you throw them under the bus. And heres hoping the Skins get their act together. Even as ugly as the Giants loss was in NY they still only lost by 6 pts. And that was with zero offense....we'll see.

All I can say is WOW. That loss, coupled with the putrid display last week against the Rams has me convinced that the Redskins belong in the bottom of the NFL. At least the Nats have some foundation for hope and I can see a brighter future for them. The skins are going to be bad all year and I don't see any obvious fixes. Zorn and Campbell may not be the answer but getting rid of them won't somehow make this a good team.

Hey, at least the Burgundy and Gold have a few championships. The CAPS don't have squat! Sorry to say but hockey is still inconsequential in this city. Maybe one day." Come on down to a Caps game this season. You'll fine a full house with great fans, a great team on the ice, and ownership that doesn't treat it's fans like crap. Oh, and the Caps will actually have a winning record AND make the playoffs. The Redskins? Eh, not so much. Caps players also don't rip their own fans on twitter, nor do they commit stupid crimes and go to jail for years.

We will always operate the team as if it is a public trust. It is our job and responsibility to hold a mirror up to our community and be a reflection of the best of our fan base;
We will always strive to be transparent and open and communicate often and honestly with our fan base;
We will be interactive and high tech/high touch as an organization;
We will always remain humble and hungry and sweat all of the details;
We will be first class in all of our efforts. We will do less things but the things we do undertake as a franchise will be world class in execution;
We will adhere to a system and a plan and stick with our strategy;
We will strive for continuity and harmony;
We will strive to offer value in all offerings to our fans. We seek ” Happiness” as a state of mind and being for our fan base;
We will be an innovator and leader in our marketing and customer relations efforts;
We will work hard to keep our team together so we can ice a great team for a long time;
We will only be focused as an organization of winning the Stanley Cup. We have a singular goal.

What are Snyders pledges?:

1. We aim to extort as much money as possible from our fans
2. To that end, we will treat you, the fan, like crap, and you will pay our ridiculous prices because you are so loyal to your team.

When was the last time any loss really meant anything for the Redskins. A loss means more when there is potential lost.

Worst moment of 2009 was the Caps game 7 loss to the Penguins. The Caps have the potential to be the best, the Redskins ... the worst.

The Caps have the best owner, best run organization in this town. If only the Danny could look across the suburbs to understand how to run things. Ted is loved by the fanbase and the Caps are winners who build through the draft.

Hate to say it, but the Redskins are the one team that truly matters in this town,

Posted by: acoberst1 | September 27, 2009 7:07 PM

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Hate to break it to you, acoberst1, but that's your personal opinion and it doesn't match mine. I'd say the 'Skins matter about sixteenth in importance to me, which puts them two or three teams below the roller derby league playing at the DC Armory. That's also where I'd put football in general.

My choice for the worst D.C. Sports Moment of '09 is Kasten's embarrassing invitation to Phillies fans, followed very closely by the Capitals' Game 7 loss to the Penguins.